Cattle-guard.



c. E VAN DYKE. CATTLE GUARD.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 27.1915.

1 1 88,584. Patented June 27, 1916.

-2 SHEETSSHEET l.

i C-E.VANDYKE C. E. VAN DYKE.

CATTLE GUARD. APPLICATIONFllgED NOV, 27. 1915- 1,188,584. I Patented June 27,1916.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2- C. EVHN'DYKE THE COLUMBIA PLANOGRAPH co., \VASHINGTON, n. c.

CHARLES E. VAN DYKE, or HARLOWTON, MONTANA.

CATTLE-Guano.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed November 27,1915. Serial No. 63,803.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, CHARLES E. VAN Drnn, a citizen of the United States, residing at Harlowton, in the county of Meagher and State of Montana, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Cattle-Guards, of which the following is a specification, reference being had to the accompanying drawings.

This invention relates to certain improvements in cattle guards, and it is an object of the invention to provide a novel and improved device of this general character wherein cattle are effectively prevented from following a railroad right-of-way.

Furthermore, it is an object of the invention to provide a cattle guard of this general character including side wings supported in such a manner as to permit an elevation or depression of the intermediate portion of the guard without affecting the supporting members with which the wings coact.

The invention consists in the details of construction and in the combination and arrangement of the several parts of my im proved cattle guard whereby certain important advantages are attained and the device is rendered simpler, less expensiveand otherwise more convenient and advantageous for use, all as will be hereinafter more fully set forth.

The novel features of the invention will be carefully defined in the appended claim.

In order that my invention may be the better understood, I will now proceed to describe the same with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein Figure l is a view in top plan, with a portion broken away, of a cattle guard constructed in accordance with an embodiment of my invention and in applied position; Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional view taken substantially on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is a vertical sectional view taken substan tially on the line 3-3 of Fig. 1.

As disclosed in the accompanyingdrawings, my improved cattle guard comprises a predetermined number of ties T on which the rails R of a track-way are adapted to rest in a conventional manner, and each of said ties T at their ends intermediate the rails B have a corner inclined, as at 1, and

to which inclined faces the lowerend's of the plates 2 and 3 are suitably anchored, said plates extending upwardly a distance substantially equal to the height of the rails R.

The plates 2 are arranged at the ends of Patented June 27, 1916,

the tie and at substantially their longitudinail centers are provided with the reinforcing or strengthening ribs 4, the intermediate plate 3 being provided at a predetermined point intermediate each of its ends with'the parallel related reinforcing or strengthen- Each of the plates 2 and 3 has its upper marginal portion provided with the strengthening rib (3 which has formed in continuity therewith the depending flange '7 which serve-s to prevent the hoofs of the cattle from being injured. The ends of the ties are tied orconnected by the elongated strip 8 with which the lower portion of a wing VV is attached. Each of the wings W is substantially in the form in plan of an inverted V and comprises the converging side strips 9 connected by the parallel related spaced strips 10 also arranged in substantial parallelism with the rails R. The opening 11 afforded by the upper strip 10 and the point of the wing has loosely directed therethrough a supporting post P and the remaining strips 10 of the wingare secured to the post P through the medium of the wires 12 whereby it will be perceived that the flexibility of the wires 12 will permit a raising 0r lowering of the ties T with out materially affecting the support afforded by the post P. It is to be noted that the extremities of the members 10 are secured to the post P and the intermediate portions thereof are looped about the transverse'strips 10, and free to move longitudinally relative to the strips 10. 7

From the foregoing description, it is thought to be obvious that a cattle guard constructed in accordance with my invention is of an extremely simple and comparatively inexpensive nature and is particularly well adapted for use by reason of the convenience and facility with which it may be assembled, and it will also be obvious that my invention is susceptible of some change and modification without material departure from the principles and spirit thereof and for this reason I do not wish to be understood as limiting myself to the precise arrangement and formation of the several parts herein shown in carrying out my invention in practice. a

I claim:

In combination with a cattle guard, end guards coacting therewith, each of said end guards comprising a plurality of transversely disposed spaced strips, a fixed supporting post for each of the end guards and freely disposed therethrough, and flexible members having their extremities secured to the post, the intermediate portions of the member being looped about the transverse strips and free to move longitudinally relative thereto.

In testimony whereof I hereunto afiix my signature in the presence of two Witnesses.

CHARLES E. VAN DYKE.

Witnesses:

' S. T. JoI-INsoN,

J. VHEELER FREEMAN.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Yotemts.

Washington, D. C. V 

